The play tells the story of a down-and out skid row floral assistant who becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood. The musical is based on a 1960 movie and was one of the longest running Off-Broadway shows.The play was written by Howard Ashman (book and lyrics) and Alan Menken (music).

The art renderings for the musical’s scenery, which has a comic book theme, were provided by Aaron Gillespie, Class of 2002, Iowa City, who has been co-writer on the Bionic Man comic book series and will eventually take over as sole writer.

“We found out this summer that Aaron was working on the Bionic Man comic book series, and that he would eventually take over its authorship,” says Larson. “When we decided on our comic book concept for the musical, Aaron seemed like the perfect person to call on for some collaborative assistance.”